1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector for a plate-like connection object, such as a SIM card.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 42 to 44, there has been proposed a connector for a card, which comprises a housing main body 902 and a card holder 903 (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H08-321353, FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, Paragraphs 0013 to 0016, 0018, 0020 to 0022).
As shown in FIG. 42, a plurality of connection terminals 905 are mounted on a flat surface 904 of the housing main body 902 made of synthetic resin. The housing main body 902 is mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown). A contact portion 906 of each connection terminal 905 protrudes from the flat surface 904 (see FIG. 43). A tail 907 (see FIG. 42) of each connection terminal 905 is soldered to a connection pad (not shown) of the printed circuit board.
As shown in FIG. 42, the flat surface 904 is formed with groove walls 910 at respective opposite sides thereof in a direction D1 of arranging the connection terminals 905. The two groove walls 910 are each formed with a groove 909, and the grooves 909 are opposed to each other in the arranging direction D1. One of the groove walls 910 is formed with a cutout 911A, and the other of the groove walls 910 is formed with a cutout 911B.
As shown in FIG. 44, the card holder 903 has a substantially square shape, as viewed from directly above. A card accommodating portion 918 is formed on a reverse surface 917 of the card holder 903.
One of the four sides of the card holder 903 is provided with a holding portion 923, and the other three sides of the same are provided with edge portions 925A, 925B, and 925C, respectively. An engagement protrusion 927A which protrudes outward is formed on the edge portion 925A, and an engagement protrusion 927B which protrudes outward is formed on the edge portion 925B. A card presser 922 formed by a pair of cantilever beams 921 which protrude into the card accommodating portion 918 is provided on the edge portion 925B. The card presser 922 urges a card (not shown) against the edge portion 925A, and hence the card is prevented from being removed even when the card accommodating portion 918 is directed downward.
To mount the card holder 903 on the housing main body 902, first, the reverse surface 917 of the card holder 903 is caused to face toward the flat surface 904 of the housing main body 902, the engagement protrusion 927A of the edge portion 925A is aligned with the cutout 911B of the groove wall 910, the engagement protrusion 927B of the edge portion 925B is aligned with the cutout 911A of the groove wall 910, and then the card holder 903 is dropped such that the reverse surface 917 of the card holder 903 is brought into contact with the flat surface 904 of the housing main body 902. Next, the card holder 903 is slightly slid in a direction indicated by an arrow 930. As a result, circuit contacts of the card are brought into contact with the contact portions 906 of the housing main body 902, whereby the card and the printed circuit board are electrically connected to each other.
Besides the above-described tray connector for a card, there is also a known connector for a card, not shown. This connector includes a tray card holder and a connector main body having a card holder-accommodating portion for accommodating the card holder, and is configured to have a structure for having a card inserted into the card holder-accommodating portion, from a holder slot located at a front side of the connector main body toward a rear side of the connector main body.
In recent years, the connector of this type has also been provided with a so-called multi-core structure and been reduced in size, and contact portions of contacts thereof have been provided at locations closer to the holder slot of the connector main body of the connector.
Therefore, when a tray card holder with no card held therein is inserted from the holder slot of the connector main body into the card holder-accommodating portion while swinging the card holder from side to side, any of the contact portions of the contacts, protruding into the card holder-accommodating portion, may be plastically deformed and damaged by a front side portion of the tray card holder.
Further, also when the tray card holder with no card held therein is extracted from the card holder-accommodating portion, any of the contact portions of contacts, protruding into the card holder-accommodating portion, may be plastically deformed and damaged by the front side portion of the tray card holder.